SEE OUR SPECIALS
Every morning when you wake up, you rely on a working plumbing system to make sure you have water to shower, brush your teeth and hydrate yourself. You also rely on that water all throughout the day, which is why plumbing systems are one of the most important components of modern life. Unfortunately, most homeowners don’t have a lot of knowledge when it comes to taking care of the plumbing systems in their homes. If you’re looking for tips to help you avoid expensive plumbing service calls and keep your water on, we’ve got you covered.
1. Know Where Your Shutoff Valve Is Located
Perhaps the most important thing you can know as a homeowner is how to shut your water off in case of an emergency. When you have a burst pipe or a bad leak and you have to call an emergency plumbing service, shutting off your water can prevent hundreds or even thousands of dollars of water damage while you wait.
The good news about shutting off your water is that it’s pretty easy to do. What’s important is figuring out where your main water shutoff valve is now so you don’t have to go looking for it when you have an emergency. If you’re not sure where the valve for your home is, a plumbing professional can help you find it.
2. Use The Right Drain Cleaner
Nobody likes a clogged drain, but there are some major differences between the options you have when it comes to drain cleaners. Most people use Drano or some other popular chemical-based drain cleaner, which is ineffective and can cause damage to your pipes. Instead, you should ask your plumber what kind of drain cleaner they recommend you use for your home.
Most plumbing service professionals agree that an enzyme-based drain cleaner is the best way to go if you don’t want to risk ruining your pipes. These drain cleaners contain enzymes which actually eat away at the organic matter causing the clog without damaging your pipes. Just because you’ve been using a chemical-based drain cleaner for years and haven’t noticed a problem doesn’t mean you’re not doing damage to your pipes. If you’re going to use a drain cleaner, make sure it’s an enzyme-based one.
3. Flush Your Water Heater
One of the biggest mistakes a lot of St. Petersburg, FL, homeowners make is not taking the time out to keep up with plumbing maintenance. You might not think your plumbing system needs regularly scheduled maintenance, but that’s not the case. As a matter of fact, having somebody flush your water heater regularly is one of the best things you can do to make it last a little longer.
At the very least, you should hire a plumbing service company to come to your home once every six months to flush your water heater. Flushing all the water out of your water heater also removes the sediment that’s settled at the bottom, the presence of which increases the speed of corrosion. If you don’t have somebody flush your water heater on occasion, you’re going to end up with a busted water heater or a sacrificial anode rod that needs to be replaced too often.
4. Know What Kind Of Water You Have
As a homeowner, it’s a good idea to have some understanding of what kind of water you’re getting from the city’s water supply. You can usually find some basic information about the quality of your water online, but it depends on where you live, where your water is sourced from and whether or not you’re even getting your water from the city.
The most important thing to know is whether or not you have hard water, because you can take steps to prevent hard water wear and tear if you do. If you notice a lot of mineral build ups on appliances and fixtures, it may be a result of hard water. A plumbing service company can install a water softener to help prevent these buildups and make sure your fixtures and appliances last a little longer.
It’s important to note that your city’s water quality doesn’t affect you if you’re on a well. For a lot of homeowners in rural areas, hard water is a reality that has to be dealt with. A plumbing service expert can help you figure out the best water softening solution if you get your water from a well.
5. Fix Problems As Fast As You Can
The last thing you want is to spend a bunch of money hiring a plumbing service professional to run new pipes or replace a fixture for you. However, you should always have your plumbing problems fixed as quickly as possible so those problems don’t get any worse. In a lot of cases, you can actually save money by investing some money in small repairs before they become more expensive.
It’s a good idea to find a plumbing service company you can trust and keep them saved in your phone. Whenever you spot a plumbing problem in your home, you have somebody reliable you can call to get it fixed as soon as possible. Not only does this save you money, it saves you the headache of having to deal with a faulty plumbing system.
Make It Easy
You need to make sure you’re staying on top of everything if you want to own a nice home, but that’s easier said than done. You can start by finding a plumber you can trust to take care of all your maintenance and repair needs.
If you own a home in St. Petersburg, FL, keeping your plumbing system in good shape is as simple as could be. Whenever you need plumbing service, Drain Flo Plumbing is a call away. To find out more or schedule an appointment, call Drain Flo Plumbing at 727-474-4178 today.
